BLUE DANUBE CRUISE WACHAU Wachau is a World Heritage Sight, a thirty - six long combination of cultivated landscape and the blue and mighty Danube. A boat journey on the famous river is the ideal way of observing the captivating villages and splendid wine growing terraces along its banks. The old town of Stein extends along a narrow section of the river with attractive buildings set amid atmospheric lanes in which beautifully restored facades shine out in the bright sunlight. Krems was first mentioned in 995 A. D and its main square contains several impressive houses that once belonged to the city's middle class inhabitants. The facades of the 16th and 18th century buildings are historic treasures, one of which was the birthplace of the mother of Franz Liszt. In Weissenkirchen where the Granite Gneiss Plateau, its rock formations and Bohemian forests reach down to the river, are fertile terraces on which grow Austria's most famous wine. The wine is beautifully balanced and its appealing lightness and gentle acidity are what make it so popular. In spite of devastating fires in 1793, Weissenkirchen is now one of the most picturesque villages of the Wachau. The village of Spitz lies in the heart of the Wachau and is closely associated with steam navigation that was first used on the Danube in 1829. The Danube Valley enjoys a temperate climate and strong vines flourish on the slopes of Tausendeimer Mountain. The Danube Valley of the Wachau is a romantic gem set amid a glorious landscape.